Method and apparatus for carrying out chemical reactions



. Se pt. 1 3, 1932.

J. R. SCHONBERG 1,877,060

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT CHEMICAL REACTIONS Sacrz-I 1.

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Patented Sept. 13, 1932 JACKSON R. SCHONBERG, OF WES'IFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY,

PATENT- 'ro STANDARD OIL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT CHEMICAL REACTIONS Application filed October 22, 1926. Serial No. 143,310.

This invention relates tojmprovements in processes and apparatlis for carrying out chemical reactions, particularly the cracking of hydrocarbon oils, by means of a circulatmg medium at high temperature. The improvements are designed primarily for cracking an oil which is circulated a plurality of times substantially in vapor phase through a system including a reaction zone.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying draw- "ing, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical section through a preferred form of apparatus for vapor phase operation, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 11-11, Fig. 1.

In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes an elongated heating passageway or cracking coil arranged in a furnace setting 2. The coil discharges through pipe 3 into the lower portion of a drum or'enlarged expansion chamber 4 having a jacket 5 around its sides. A valve 3, which may be of the pressure control type, is installed in the pipe 3. A heating coil 6 is arranged'about the lower portion of the drum and is intended for use especially at the start of a run, to bring the reaction zone rapidly up to the temperature required.

A scraping and stirring device 7 is journaled for rotation in a support 8 mounted transversely in the drum, and centrally bored to receive the scraper rod. The arms 9 of the scraper extend radially, and have vertical terminal blades 10 lying closely adjacent to the inner wall of drum 4, from which they remove any carbon or coke that may tend to build up deposits. A draw-off pipe 11 is connected to the bottom of the drum, and has valved branches 12 and 13 discharging respectively into receptacles 14 and 14.

A vapor pipe 15 conveys vapors from the upper portion of the drum 4 to the bottom of a coke-settling tank 16. Vapors pass from .the top of the tank 16 through pipe 17 to a blower 18, which forces them through a header 19 and nozzles 20, back into the drum 4. The nozzles are preferably arranged so as to discharge upon the blades 10, thus rotating the scraper 7. However, other means for rotating the scraper may be supplied. The pipe system for circulating vapors may bethermally insulated.

A pipe 21 is connected to the top of the drum 4 for the withdrawal of vapors to a condenser 22. A pressure control valve-23 is installed. in the pipe 21. The condenser is illustrated as a coil, but a bubble tower or any other suitable fractionating and/or condensing means may be employed. The condenser 22 discharges through a pipe 22' into a receiver 24.

A cylindrical heating chamber 25, having a central flue 26 for the passage of hotgases, is arrangedina furnace setting 27. The furnace gases, after passing through the flue and heating a liquid material 28 (a fused salt or metal) in the chamber 25, discharge through the stack 29. There is a circulation of the heated liquid 28 from the chamber 25, through a pipe 30 leading from the bottom of that chamber to the jacket 5, through the jacket and by pipe 31, pump 32, and pipe 33, back to the heating chamber 25. A heating coil 34 is provided in the chamber 25 to aid in bringing the liquid material quickly up to the desired temperature at the start of a run.

The method will be understood from the following illustrative example.

Gas oil is heated in the coil 1 to a vaporizing temperature, and is continuously discharged into drum 4. The vaporized gas oil at a temperature of about 940 F. is continuously withdrawn from the drum by the blower 18, and discharged through the nozzles 20 back into the drum. Most of the carbon or coke particles that may be in the vapor stream are separated in the tank 16. Th jets from the nozzles 20.

e scraper 7 is rotated by the impact of the The pressure in the drum may be about 300 pounds per square inch. The heating material 28 is preferably maintained at a corresponding pressure, so as to prevent excessive strain upon the-walls of the drum. The valve 23 is set to maintain the desired pressure in the drum. After this is reached, yapors are vented progressively through pipe 21 as fresh vapors enter the drum from the coil 1.

' tained at the desired point by circulation of the liquid material 28, preferably a molten salt, in the manner described above. The heavy liquid residue, or solid decomposition products, may be drawn 'ofl from thedrum 4 into the receivers 14:, and 14, when re quired.

The described general method (intermittently heating a circulating reaction mass by a circulating liquid at high temperature) is applicable in general to reactions in which the requisite time of contact can not be well obtained by continuous heating. The method may be advantageously used in connection with liquid phase, as well as vapor phase reactions, and to batch as well as continuous processes.

Various changes and alternative arrangements may be made within the scope of the flowing vapor comprising appended claims in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as the prior art permits.

lclaim:

1. Method of applyingheat to a body of bringing the vapor into an enlarged zone, wi hdrawing a portion of the vapor from the zone, taking off a part of said vapor, returning the remaining part to said zone, supplying'additional vapor to compensate for that withdrawn from the system, heating said zone by flowing thereabout a fused solid materiah'and maintaining the heat of said fused material by passing it through a reheating stage in at least one part of its circulation.

2. Process according to claim 1 in which vapor is continuously supplied to the enlarged zone and a portion of the vapor is continuously withdrawn therefrom.

3. Process according to claim 1 in which the heating material is a fused salt.

4. Process of cracking a hydrocarbon oil, com rising substantially completely vaporizing t e oil, continuously and directly circulating the vapors through a high temperature reaction zone and a circulating system outside said zone, and maintaining a cracking temperature in the reaction zone by continuously circulating a terior of said zone.

5. Process according to claim A, in which solid reaction products are removed in a portion of the system beyond the reaction zone.

6. Process of cracking hydrocarbon oil, comprising substantially completely vaporiz fused material about the ex-.

ing the oil in a reaction zone, withdrawing oil vapors from said zone, separating solid reaction products, injecting the vapors again into said zone, continuing the circulation specified, continuously adding to the zone oil heated to reaction temperature and taking off reaction products therefrom, taining the temperature of the zone by circulating a fused med'um about the exterior thereof. A

7. Process according to claim the oil is heated to a vaporizing in an elongated passageway, passed into the reaction zone.

8.Apparatus for carrying out chemical reactions, comprising a reaction chamber, a jacket about the chamber and adapted to receive a heating fluid, a pipe system connected to the chamber, means for circulating vapors from the chamber through the pipe system and directly back means the jacket to maintain the chamber at a reaction temperature, and means for taking off a reaction product from the chamber.

, 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which a receptacle for trapping solid particles is installed in the pipe system.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which the means for circulating the heating fluid comprises a container for a fused material, means for heating the container,'pipes connecting the container with the jacket of the reaction chamber, and a pump for circulating the fused material through said last mentioned pipes.

11. Apparatus reactions, comprising a reactlon chamber, withdrawal and return pipes connected to the chamber at points remote from each other, a blower in circuit with saidpipes and adapted to circulate vapors from the reaction cham- 6, in which temperature and is then and mainto the chamber, for circulating a heating fluid through a for carrying put chemical her through the pipes and back to the cham- JACKSON a. scnonerre. 

